Issue Archive

Rowheel Wheelchair Propulsion System
Salim NasserMerritt Island, FL
There are approximately 1.8 million manual wheelchair users in the United States, and that number is expected to grow at a rate of 10% annually. Seventy-five percent of wheelchair users rely on manual wheelchairs. Prolonged manual wheelchair use is directly linked to repetitive stress injuries and pain in the upper extremities. The effects of muscle overuse become evident in the forms of muscle pain, torn rotator cuffs, joint degeneration, and carpal tunnel syndrome. There is a need to minimize these types of injuries while retaining the benefits of the exercise that these devices provide. Studies have found that continued prevalence and pain intensity over time resulted in a change in lifestyle in which the user ceased to routinely perform these activities.

(Winner of an HP Workstation)
BreezeRite Air Filtration Module
Rob LuchsingerPipe Creek, TX
BreezeRite, an indoor air modular filtration system, attaches to new or existing ceiling fans, preventing dust buildup on the top and forward edge of fan blades and removing airborne particulates, smoke, and odor. Rather than having to vacuum, dust, or wash down each blade, consumers can pull out, rinse off, or replace the filter housing. The technology extends the life of existing central HVAC units, resulting in less wear, filter changes, and professional cleaning of the A coils.

(Winner of an HP Workstation)
High-Flow Lift Pump
Eric FoyCentral Point, OR
Apump is often needed, particularly in the act of firefighting, to raise water to fill a header tank or mobile water tender. The High-Flow Lift Pump, which can pull water quickly from a creek or river, contains an axial flow impeller pump section made of a resistant, custom-molded, thermoplastic engineering resin located at the inlet end of a transfer hose. The pump also has a power head at the flex-fitting found near the designated tank or truck, and a flexible drive shaft running inside the transfer hose. Sections of transfer hose may be daisy-chained, with the internal drive shafts automatically coupling together as the hose is assembled.

(Winner of an HP Workstation)
IDEA Enhanced Pulse Oximetry
Rodrigo Teixeira, Alton Reich, and Stephen MalinHuntsville, AL
Stroke volume, or how much volume of blood the heart pumps with each beat, demonstrates the organ’s efficiency and health, but the performance is often measured invasively using a Swan-Ganz catheter or ultrasound echocardiography. IDEA Enhanced Pulse Oximetry technology, however, measures light absorption by blood as it pulses. By analyzing the light pulses’ shape and evolutions, the technology gathers information about the patient’s cardiovascular system, including stroke volume and cardiac output. The Intelligent Data Extraction Algorithm, or IDEATM, analyzes noisy pulse signals and interprets them in a real-time physiological context.

(Winner of an HP Workstation)
Digital Window Distributed Imaging Camera
Ellen Cargill, Peter Jones, and Dennis PurcellBoston, MA
Scallop Imaging’s seven-megapixel Digital Window D7-180 video surveillance camera streams and records in full-color high resolution throughout a 180° field of view. The standalone device acts as a potential alternative to a set of several traditional cameras, which have a smaller field of view and often use slower pan/tilt/zoom mechanisms to pinpoint a target.

(Winner of an HP Workstation)
Regenerative Braking Bike Front Wheel
David Swain, Frank Maurer, Jason Moore, and Albert ShihAnn Arbor, MI
With the push of a button and without any pedalling or external energy, a regenerative front wheel can bring a bicycle back to its previous speed after a rider has hit the brakes. Non-spinning hydraulics, which are located in the center of the wheel, store braking and hill energy for later release.

(Winner of an HP Workstation)
Sustainable, Durable Bridges of the Future
Ibrahim Al-KhattatTalacre, Wales, United Kingdom
Alight, pre-stressed, segmented-arch (LPSA) bridge-building system uses a kit of compact parts that can be manufactured and transported, resulting in cost, energy, and capital investment savings. In addition to providing an alternative to heavier energy-consuming bridge materials like concrete and steel, the framework’s design flexibility helps to withstand natural disasters like earthquakes.

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